Mission Statement

The mission of Dogs Deserve Better, Inc., is to provide a better life for abused, neglected and abandoned canines; especially those which are chained or penned without human companionship. We strive to accomplish this through advocating for humane legislation; promoting spay and neuter; educating communities on animal welfare; and rescuing and rehabilitating distressed canines.

Main Programs

Education

Legislation

Rescue and Rehabilitation

Activism

Hero Fund Vet Care Grants

Canine Rescue and rehabiliation

Service Areas

Self-reported

International

DDB works with volunteers across the US and Canada. We also have volunteers internationally. These volunteers work within and around their communities to education, legislate and rescue/rehabilitate for dogs that live their lives chained by the neck or ostracized into small pens. For a complete list of opportunities visit our website at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/volunteer.html

ruling year

2003

Executive Director
since 2015

Self-reported

Denise Cohn

Keywords

Self-reported

rescue, chained dog, dog, canine, cruelty, animal, advocacy

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2015, 2014 and 2014.Register now

Programs + Results

How does this organization make a difference?

Overview

Self-reported by organization

Here are some of the highlights of DDB's accomplishments since our inception in 2002: • Rescued, rehabbed, and rehomed over 2500 chained or penned dogs • assisted in getting laws in scores of counties, cities • spoke at national and local meetings about the dangers to children and dogs of keeping them chained • spent thousands of hours chained to doghouses advocating for better laws • provided fencing for over 150 chained dogs • inspired hundreds of others to take action in their own community for chained dogs through education, rescue, legislation, and fencing campaigns • mailed a total of 112,196 Valentines to chained dogs • funded vet care in a total amount of $467,158.00 • Published five books, a coloring book, and countless posters, brochures, doorhangers, and other products for use in freeing chained dogs

Programs

Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Program 1

Education

DDB provides a variety of educational materials through our website to address the issue of chaining dogs. We emphasize not only the impact of chaining on the dog himself/herself, but on the community as a whole. In addition, DDB volunteers make educational presentations to groups throughout the world on these issues. We have a form on our website which allows neighbors or passersby to report chained or penned dogs. We then mail an educational brochure offering help and a letter to the address, and the reporter remains anonymous. We offer many items for sale on our site to educate about chaining; brochures, doorhangers, children's books, and books for adults, most written by staff or associates of Dogs Deserve Better. We also offer coloring books and annual calendars for sale to not only assist in the educational process but to raise funds for our efforts to unchain man's best friend.

Program long term success

Not available

Program success monitored by

Not available

Program success examples

Not available

Category

None

Population(s) Served

Adults

Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.)

None

Budget

Program 2

Legislation

DDB Representatives work with other animal welfare organizations and concerned citizens to advocate for changes in exisiting laws to end the practice of chaining dogs 24/7. DDB representatives lobby for these changes at all levels of government from counties/cities through state.

Program long term success

In 2009, DDB advocated and networked with volunteers, other groups, individuals and officials to make anti-tethering legislation a reality in areas such as Nevada, Fulton County, GA; Asheville, NC; Red Lake Falls, MN; and O'Fallen, MO, just to name a few. For more information on legislative changes, see http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/laws.html(http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/laws.html)

Program success monitored by

Not available

Program success examples

Not available

Category

Population(s) Served

Adults

Budget

Program 3

Rescue and Rehabilitation

Each year DDB, rescues and rehabilitates anywhere from 150-300 dogs that had previously spent their entire lives at the end of a chain. In 2011 we bought Vick's former Bad Newz Kennels and are creating a rescue home for chained dogs on the property. As of October 2014 we have helped over 180 dogs just from the home that came with the property. We hope to build an addition ASAP to double the number of dogs we can assist at any given time. We also have area reps in several areas of the country who foster dogs and get them rehomed. Be sure to check out our Hero Fund Vet Care Grants as well.

Program long term success

For recent successes see http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/successes.html

Program success monitored by

Not available

Program success examples

Not available

Category

None

Population(s) Served

Adults

None

None

Budget

Program 4

Activism

Activist campaigns include Chain Off, where advocates chain themselves to doghouses in order to bring awareness for dogs nationwide, and protests for dogs in illegal situations. We make incredible use of our facebook page to gain help for individual dogs living in illegal situations, and succeed in freeing them time after time.

Program long term success

Not available

Program success monitored by

Not available

Program success examples

Not available

Category

None

Population(s) Served

None

None

None

Budget

Program 5

Hero Fund Vet Care Grants

Our Hero Fund Vet Care Grants are meant to assist rescuers who help chained dogs with the financial burden they incur when rescuing a dog. We pay the vets directly a $300 Grant which helps the dogs get back on their feet again, and often includes heartworm test, spay or neuter, shots, and worming. As of May 2014 we have provided grants to 147 dogs at a total cost of $44,100.00, and we will continue this grant as long as funding is available.

Program long term success

We hope to continue this program indefinitely, but need major donor support. The amount earmarked for this program is depleted, and we have been providing funds from our general fund to the program because we feel it is so important.

Program success monitored by

Not available

Program success examples

Here's one recent testimonial about the program: "I am in awe of you and the Dogs Deserve Better organization. I was expecting to call DDB and have to leave a message that probably wouldn't be returned for a few weeks. To the contrary, each a every time I've called DDB, Julie has answered the phone and been very helpful. I expected to wait for the decision about the grants for months. No, I received the deposited veterinary care funds after only three days. All non-profits, rescue organizations, and social justice advocacy groups should take advice from you. You're doing it right! Your love for animals and your wish for them to have better lives is still at the forefront of your mission. Don't ever change! Thank you."—Ashley Morrison, grant recipient

Category

None

Population(s) Served

Adults

None

None

Budget

Program 6

Canine Rescue and rehabiliation

We rescue abused and neglected, c hained and penned dogs, from a life of despair and rehabiliate them both medically and emotionally to become the family pets they have always wanted to be.

Program long term success

DDB has been rescuing canines from a life living outside, unsocialized and chained or penned for 14 years. Thousands of dogs have been saved thank to our rescue, our education and activism to change laws.

Program success monitored by

CEO, Board and staff

Program success examples

Dozer lived 14 years tied outside to a magnolia tree. No shelter. No companionship. And had never seen a Vet. It took us two years to convince the owners to let us have him and provide a better life. Finally, thanks to the threat of a hurricane, they let us take him to our Center where he turned out to be the friendliest dog you could ever meet However, he had never seen a Vet and his heartworm was off the charts. He survived it all and on June 2nd, 2016 he went home! A wonderful family adopted him and he is spending his golden years in style, warmth, and lots of love.

Category

Animal-Related

Population(s) Served

Adults

Adults

Budget

$123,000

Charting Impact

Self-reported by organization

Five powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

Our long term goal is to end the chaining of dogs in America and around the world. We hope to accomplish this through education, legislation, and rescue and rehabilitation. We work from our Rehab Center for Chained and Penned Dogs in Smithfield, Virginia, where we bring chained dogs from many states in the U.S. and assist our reps by bringing dogs they rescue to our facility. Our immediate goal is to build a wing onto the center in order to double the number of dogs we can rehab at any given time. Our longterm facility goal is to build a state of the art facility for training and rehabilitating up to 50 dogs at a time; at this facility we will housetrain and obedience train them in order to find them new, inside, homes and families. At that point we will turn the current small facility into a vet care facility for our own dogs and for community dogs to get inexpensive veterinary care. Major donors are needed to bring this project to fruition. We also want to continue our Hero Fund vet care grants for rescued chained and penned dogs. This grant has helped 186 dogs as of October 2014, at a cost of $55,800, and we need more funding to keep it going in order to take the financial burden off those who rescue chained or penned dogs.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

When we started we naively thought chaining could be knocked out within ten years...but that didn't happen. Chaining is insidious in America and around the world, and we've found that areas where we take on chaining as an issue get quickly cleaned up and it has made us realize that the more volunteers we have spreading the word the quicker things will change. We believe we are hitting it from every angle with our programs and campaigns that educate, legislate, rehabilitate, and advocate.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

Dogs Deserve Better was the first organization to actively take on the dog chaining issue. The founder has been called "The Godmother of Anti-Tethering" by the USA Today. We have educational materials written by Tamira Thayne and others with Dogs Deserve Better to include books, brochures, calendars, doorhangers, coloring books, and children's books. We provide these materials to volunteers around the country, and we mail educational materials to homes all around the country in order to advocate for the dogs.

How will they know if they are making progress?

As more and more areas get laws limiting chaining, the number of chained dogs decreases, and that is our marker. When we revisit areas we've cleaned up, we see time and time again that most citizens do not go back to chaining as a solution. We are very encouraged at the level of progress we've reached in twelve years.

What have and haven't they accomplished so far?

While we can't take credit for all the progress that has come for chained dogs nationwide, we were the first organization on the scene working on their behalf and brought the fight to the public. We hoped for a nationwide law limiting chaining in the beginning, but it turns out that's not possible on the federal level. We've educated citizens and dog advocates in fighting for laws for dogs locally, and spoken at dozens of town meetings and in front of state committees on chaining legislation. At this point at least five states and 250 communities nationwide have laws limiting chaining. Most citizens who take on the issue in their communities come to us for advice or visit our website for the strategies we present. We've rescued and rehabbed as many as 3000-3500 formerly chained or penned dogs, and for these dogs their new lives are priceless. We've begun a rehab facility on the site of Michael Vick's former dogfighting compound, and every day our dogs run through the fields where once dogs lived chained to trees. It's a great feeling watching a dog go from a life on the end of a chain to life inside the home and family. We've implemented a Vet Care Grant for dogs we are unable to rescue ourselves due to facility constraints, but we lift the financial burden for other groups or individuals who step up to rescue chained or penned dogs. These grants are paid directly to the vet offices on the dog's behalf, and as of October 2014 we have funded these grants for 186 dogs at a total cost of $55,800. The organization has spent over one-half million dollars on vet care for dogs since our inception in 2002.

Service Areas

Self-reported

International

DDB works with volunteers across the US and Canada. We also have volunteers internationally. These volunteers work within and around their communities to education, legislate and rescue/rehabilitate for dogs that live their lives chained by the neck or ostracized into small pens. For a complete list of opportunities visit our website at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/volunteer.html

Good Newz Rehab Center. We are as of yet working solely from the 4600 square foot house that came with the property. Our goal is to build a facility where we can socialize and train 50 dogs, and keep the current facility as a low-cost spay neuter clinic for our own dogs and as spay neuter resource for the southern VA area. http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ddbcenter.html
Education: brochure creation and printing. We mail approximately 23,000 brochures per year to homes with chained dogs, and about 20,000 per year to volunteers who put them out in their communities.
We have printed a coloring book, Happy Dog!, and have printed four other educational books; Puddles on the Floor, A New Name for Worthless, Capitol in Chains, and Unchain My Heart.
Vet bills: In 2010-11, we spent over $100,000 on vet costs for rescued dogs.
Fencing programs: We provide fencing for families willing to bring the dogs into the home and family from a chained life. http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/fencing.html(http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/fencing.html)

Videos

photos

External Reviews

Source: greatnonprofits.org

The review section is powered by Great Nonprofits

Financials

Financial information is an important part of gauging the short- and long-term health of the organization.

Executive Director

Denise Cohn

Governance

BOARD CHAIR

Vikki Broyles

DDB

Term: Aug 2015 -

BOARD LEADERSHIP PRACTICES

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader
in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section,
which enables organizations and donors to transparently share information
about essential board leadership practices.
Self-reported by organization

Yes

BOARD ORIENTATION & EDUCATION

Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations?

Yes

CEO OVERSIGHT

Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive
within the past year?

Yes

ETHICS & TRANSPARENCY

Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and
completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year?

Yes

BOARD COMPOSITION

Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that
results in diversity of thought and leadership?

No

BOARD PERFORMANCE

Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance
within the past three years?